Yū saraba shio michikinamu suminoe no asaka no ura ni tamamo karite na

夕さらば潮満ち来なむ住吉の
浅香の浦に玉藻刈りてな

Roma-ji: Yū saraba shio michikinamu suminoe no asaka no ura ni tamamo karite na
English Translation: When evening comes
the tide will surely rise—
at Suminoe,
along the bay of Asaka,
let me cut the jeweled weed.
Meaning: When evening comes the tide will surely rise; let me cut the lovely seaweed now in the bay of Asaka at Suminoe.
Commentary: Book Two Love Poems 121

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Four poems by Prince Yuge in longing for Princess Ki"
He resolves to cut the jeweled seaweed in Asaka Bay before the evening tide comes in, entrusting to the image his wish to fulfill his love before the chance is lost. The seaweed is taken as a figure for the woman he loves.
According to the headnote, these are four poems Prince Yuge composed in longing for Princess Ki. Princess Ki was a daughter of Emperor Tenmu and the prince's half-sister. The sequence moves from a wish that their love flow on unhindered, to a lament that he would rather scatter like a flower, to a resolve to seize the moment, and finally to a lament of wasting away with love. This is the third; its authorship follows the headnote of the sequence.
The author, Prince Yuge, was a son of Emperor Tenmu; his mother was Princess Ōe, a daughter of Emperor Tenji. He was the full younger brother of Prince Naga.

In the first line, "yū saraba," saru means for a time to arrive: when evening comes.
In the second line, "shio michikinamu," namu is strong conjecture: the tide will surely come in. The poem pauses here.
The third line, "suminoe no," is a place in Settsu, read Suminoe.
The fourth line, "asaka no ura ni," names a part of the Suminoe shore.
In the final line, "tamamo karite na," te is the irrealis of the perfective tsu and na expresses resolve: let me cut it now. Once the tide rises it can no longer be cut, and behind this lies his wish to win his love before obstacles arise.
Author: Prince Yuge
Source: Manyoshu
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